Asian Games: BEST SHOT NAGOYA! A Look Back at the 17-Year-Old High School Student’s “Jubilant Gold in the Breaststroke”

[Gold] Shin Ohashi (17)
Men’s 200m Breaststroke

A 17-year-old high school student blossomed into stardom.

At the “2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games” (September 19–October 4), the Japanese team won 83 gold medals, setting a new record for the most gold medals won since the 1966 Bangkok Games—a 60-year milestone.Among them, Shin Ohashi drew particular attention by setting a world record of 2 minutes 4.83 seconds in the men’s 200-meter breaststroke.

“At 169 cm, he is smaller than his international rivals, but he has improved his times with his own unique, fast-paced swimming style. In today’s swimming world, where swimming with large strokes to reduce water resistance has become the norm, Ohashi’s emergence is nothing short of a revolution.”
Kosuke Kitajima set a world record in the 200-meter breaststroke at the 2002 Busan Asian Games and won gold in both the 100-meter and 200-meter events at the 2004 Athens Olympics.“We hope Ohashi will similarly win gold at the Los Angeles Olympics (2028),” said sports writer Yoshimi Oriyama.

A remarkable feat also took place in track and field. In the women’s 100-meter hurdles, Mako Fukube (30) and Hitomi Nakajima (31) achieved a Japanese one-two finish—the first in 44 years.

“Fukube won the gold medal while battling Kikuchi’s disease, a rare and serious illness. Nakajima, who is the same age, set a Japanese record of 12.60 seconds in the same event this year. Since this is an event where some athletes remain at the top of the world in their 30s, both of them will likely continue to improve their times in the future,” (ibid.)

[Gold] Mako Fukube (30) [Silver] Hitomi Nakajima (31)
Women’s 100m Hurdles

In men’s track and field, the 4×400m relay team won Japan’s first gold in that event in 12 years, while Chisho Iizawa (25) claimed Japan’s first gold in the 1,500m in 40 years.

[Gold] Men’s 4×400m Relay

The biggest upset of the tournament came from the men’s table tennis team. They defeated their archrival China in the final and claimed the top spot in Asia for the first time in 60 years, since the 1966 Bangkok Games. Former Japanese national table tennis team member Hiroko Fujii provides commentary.

“The biggest turning point was the fourth match, which they entered trailing 1–2. Losing this match would have meant elimination, and their opponent was Wang Chuqin (26), the world No. 1 at the time. Tomokazu Harimoto (23) declared, ‘I’m going to win, so just wait and see,’ and went on to secure the victory.Next, Teruaki Matsushima (19) defeated Wen Ruibo (19), securing the long-awaited gold medal. Matsushima, known for his powerful style of play, went on to defeat Wang after the tournament, becoming the first Japanese player in 46 years—and the youngest ever—to reach the No. 1 spot in the world rankings.”

[Gold] Men’s Table Tennis Team

[Click here for Part 2] “I absolutely had to win here.” 2026 Asian Games: BEST SHOT IN NAGOYA!

From the October 23 & 30, 2026, combined issue of *FRIDAY*